I will not tell the first-years that they should build a tree house in the Whomping Willow

Christmas break is quickly approaching, but Remus can't seem to get in the spirit. It's partly because he is going to be alone at Hogwarts on Christmas- James and Peter are going home to their vibrant and happy families, and Sirius has been ordered to report back home to his evil and cruel parents and relatives, while Remus thinks of the approaching full moon and tells his parents that he'll stay in Hogwarts where it's safer.

Remus is moody, thinking of spending the full moon alone, but Sirius is downright miserable. He's sulky and angry and lashes out at people for no apparent reason. Remus watches with wide eyes and tries to say something, but doesn't quite know what to say.

James doesn't have those problems, however. "Mate, you need to calm down," he snaps one night at dinner, after Sirius glowered at a group of first years until they left the table.

"They were talking too loudly," Sirius says flatly, glaring at James, who rolls his eyes.

"You're just being a right prat, you know that? You're not the only one who will have a shitty Christmas. Look at Moony!"

Sirius glances at Remus with a hint of surprise in his eyes, but then his eyes cloud over and he looks back at James. "Right, well, excuse me Prongs for not being as excited as you are to go home for Christmas. You know what my family is like, I thought you'd understand."

"I understand," James says impatiently. "But you don't have to take everything out on us, yeah?"

Sirius shrugs, looking down. Another gaggle of first years come back and sit down, giggling loudly. Sirius stares them down, looking positively frightening.

"What?" sasses a particularly brave first year. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing," Sirius snaps. "Nothing at all. Now go…build a tree house in the Whomping Willow, or something."

"Can we do that?" asks one, but Professor McGonagall is suddenly looming over them, glaring.

"Detention, Mr. Black," she snaps. "And no, Mr. Scott, you cannot."

"For making one comment," Sirius starts furiously, staring at McGonagall in disbelief.

"This is the fifth time I've caught you taunting a first year," she says curtly. "So yes, Mr. Black, you will have detention in my room at eight. I believe lines will do the trick."

"Yes, Professor," Sirius mutters, getting up to leave. He storms out of the Great Hall, Peter, James, and Remus trailing after him.

Sirius spends the rest of the evening brooding in silence, and Remus curls up next to the fire, staring at the flames and thinking of the pain of a solitary full moon and being on the receiving end of Sirius' bad temper. He sees Sirius loudly leaving at eight, ignoring Remus entirely, and becomes incredibly angry. How dare he treat him like this, like he's nothing, like he's….insignificant?

Remus brews for a few more minutes before picking up the Marauder's Map and scanning it for Sirius' dot. He sees it, alone in McGonagall's office, and his eyes narrow for a second before he hurls the map down and stomps out of the Common Room.

Sirius looks up in surprise when Remus enters the room. "Moony," he says warily. "What are you doing here?"

Remus pauses, not quite sure how to answer that. "Er, I just- I wanted to talk to you."

Siriud nods, waiting.

"You're shutting me out, you're acting like I don't exist, and Sirius, I get that you're upset about your family and everything, but I just- I just don't know why you're mad at me."

"I'm sorry," Sirius says quickly. "I know I've been a real prat to you, and to James and Peter, but really to you, and I'm sorry." He offers Remus a hesitant smile. "Are you mad?"

Remus laughs with relief, forgiving him instantly. "No, 'course not. But why?"

Sirius shrugs, looking down. "I just- my mum- she thinks….and you know it's just because she's prejudiced with the whole, the whole pureblood supremacy thing, but she…I know she doesn't approve of…me, and she thinks it's unnatural and I can't help it, you know that, obviously, but I can't, and I know she knows because Narcissa must have told her, and that's why she wants me home this Christmas instead of letting me go to Prong's, or even, even stay here with you, and Remus, I can't deal with it, and I thought it might be easier if we weren't…you know, but it's not, it's just made everything harder, and I just, I don't know. I'm sorry."

Remus frowned, trying to decipher what Sirius just said. "Your mum is upset about….us? Together?"

Sirius smirks without humor. "She's worse than all the Slytherins and the Ravenclaws combined."

Remus stares at Sirius, whose eyes just look so hurt and lost and finds himself clenching his fists in fury at Sirius' bitch of a mother. "You should have told me. I could have helped."

Sirius smiles at him. "You're helping now."

Remus smiles back and ducks his head a little bit. "Er, what are you doing?"

"Lines," Sirius says, rolling his eyes. "I will not tell the first years that they should build a tree house in the Whomping Willow." He pauses, a spark of humor coming back to his face. "I should have told them to play in it on the full moon, nasty little toe-rags."

Remus snorts. "That's horrible, Pads."

Sirius grins cheekily. "Oh, they deserve it."

Remus smiles absently and perches on the edge of Sirius' desk. "Don't listen to your mum, okay? When you go back home. There's nothing wrong with us- well, there's a hell of a lot wrong with me, but it has nothing to do with you- and they don't know what they're talking about. I, I love you Pads, and I don't want you to come back after Christmas and, and not even want to be with me anymore because of what she said."

Sirius stares at him. "That will never happen," he breathes. "I love you too, Moony, and I promise I won't let her get to me. She never has before." He smirks at that, and then jumps on the desk, next to Remus.

"So…you do, you know, love me?" Remus asks, feeling silly, but needing the confirmation.

Sirius rolls his eyes and instead of answering, presses his lips against Remus'. Remus' brain clouds over and he grabs handfuls of Sirius' hair, pushing his face closer to his, licking Sirius' open mouth in a way that would be gross if it wasn't Sirius.

Sirius growls, deep in his throat, and pushes Remus against the desk, his fingers gently tracing the faded scars up and down Remus' arms. In response, Remus finds the scars on Sirius, scars made from the wand of his mother, the curse of his cousin, and kisses each one, healing the pain, the hurt, the sense of worthlessness. Sirius whimpers a little, like he does when he's happy and Padfoot, and starts unbuttoning Remus' shirt, pausing at every button to give Remus a kiss.

This is all so new to Remus, and a little bit embarrassing, but it's Sirius, and it's love and lust and want and need, and he closes his eyes and kisses Sirius. He clings to him, craving the affection to prove that he's not a complete monster, and Sirius clings back, craving the affection he never receives at home.

They're together, and it's perfect, and they're so wrapped up in each other that, for a second, they don't notice Professor McGonagall's gasp of horror when she walks into the room.

After that, it's a blur of embarrassment and awkwardness and lack of eye contact and muttered apologies. Sirius and Remus leave quickly, not looking at each other. After they are an appropriate distance from McGonagall's office, Remus feels like he's bubbling up with pure relief and happiness that things are all fixed with Sirius, and he begins to laugh, bending over. Sirius glances at him, surprised, but then starts to chuckle, which quickly escalates until they are both laughing hysterically, high on life and friendship and romance. And for that instant, it doesn't matter that Sirius is going home to a prejudiced and cruel mother, or that Remus is going to be all alone on a full moon, all that matters is that they're okay and they're together.

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